Spring hook clasp



May 5, 1953 H. KUEH-N ETAL SPRING HOOK CLASP Filed March 8, 0

FIGS.

FIG.I.

Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPRING HOOK CLASP Herman Kuehn, Union, and John F. Sand, Newark, N. J., assignors to Gemex Company, Union, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application March 8, 1950, Serial No. 148,352

3 Claims. 3

This invention relates to spring hook clasps, and more particularly to such clasps for connecting a wrist watch bracelet and a wrist watch.

One object of the invention is the provision of a spring hook type of clasp which is particularly suitable for use on the ends of a wrist watch bracelet to connect the bracelet and a wrist watch, of such construction as to be easily applicable to and removable from bracelet-end-attaching members on different watches, whereby a bracelet equipped at its ends with clasps of this invention may be used with various watches. A further object is the provision of a clasp construction which is adapted for the production of a clasp of ornamental character.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following c aims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a clasp of this invention, with its hooks closed;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the hooks of the clasp open;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective of all the parts of the clasp.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

In Fig. 6, part 5 is shown above part 3, though in assembly their relation is the opposite, for purposes of better illustrating how these parts appear when finally assembled.

Referring to the drawing, a clasp constructed in accordance with this invention is shown to comprise a member I adapted to be attached at one end to an end of a wrist watch bracelet, and a pair of clasp hooks 3 and 5 pivoted on a stud 7 under the member l and projecting beyond the other end of the member i. The hooks are biased to the closed position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 wherein tongues or fingers 9 at the free ends of the hooks are in overlapping relation, one above the other, by coiled compression spring means consisting of a pair of helical coiled compression springs II, the ends of which are engaged with shoulders l3 on the hooks. The arrangement is such that the hooks may be opened by spreading them apart, the springs ll thereupon being compressed between the shoulders on the hooks, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

More particularly, the member I consists of a sheet metal stamping having a cap portion [5 provided with a cufi" ll for connecting the member to the end of a bracelet, such as the snake chain bracelet B illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. As herein shown, the cap l5 resembles a shell, with cuff ll at the narrow end of the shell. The cap is provided at its opposite edges adjacent the end with flanges 19 which project downward, i. e., they project toward the wrist when the bracelet is worn. The hooks 3 and 5 project out from under the end of the cap opposite the cufi.

The stud I is one arm of a U-shaped member ill, the base of which is designated 23 and the other arm of which is designated 25. At 21 is shown a base plate constituting one part of a two-part sprtng housing. Part 21 is a sheet metal stamping formed to fit in the shell-like cap 55 having a generally triangular flat web 29, side flanges 3i, and bent up spring abutments 33 at its narrow end. In the web are apertures 35 and 31 for receiving the arms '5 and 25 of the U- shaped member 2 l The apertures are located on the longitudinal center line of the web so as to be aligned with the cufi H.

The arms 5 and 25 of the U-shaped member are inserted in the apertures 35 and 3? from the outside of the part 2?, and the latter is fitted in the cap l5 with its narrow end toward the cuff and with the base 23 cf the U-shaped member between the web 29 and the cap E5 (see Fig. 5). Arm i is located toward the end of the cap away from the cuff. The hooks 3 and 5 are pivoted at their inner ends on the arm or stud l. The inner ends of the hooks are apertured as indicated at t: to receive the stud l. Springs H are compressed between the shoulders E3 on the hooks and the abutments 33 cf the part 2'2, the hooks being mounted in such manner that the shoulders are on opposite sides of the stud l. The springs are disposed on opposite sides of the arm of the U-shaped member Zl. At 53 is shown the other part cf the two-part spring housing. This consists of a flat cover for the part El, which bears against the flanges 3! of the part 22-. The parts are retained in assembled relation by crimping the margins of the flanges 55 over the cover as indicated at M in Fig. 5. The flat web 28 and the side flanges 3| of the part 2?, in conjunction with the cap [5,

serves as a retainer for holding the U-shaped member 2| in position.

The hooks 3 and are formed to present a similar appearance when viewed from above the cap 15, with one the reverse of the other for their mounting in opposed relation. Each consists of a sheet metal stamping and has a flat inner end porticn 45 on which is a flat ear 41. The pivot aperture 4! for the hook is in this ear. The flat 45 is of such outline as to have an edge on one side of the ear forming the spring abutment shoulder [3. The flat is struck in the stamping operation at a point along this edge to provide a, spring-centering lug 49 projecting from the shoulder into the end of the respective spring ll.

Extending outward from the flat 45 approximately at right angle to the shoulder I3 is a hollow domed arm 5| of ornamental aspect. The hooks are mounted on the stud I with the open sides of their arms 51 facing away from the cap l5. The tongue or finger 9 of each hook consists of a tongue section of the blank from which the hock is stamped bent to project generally at right angles to the arm in a plane perpendicular to the pivot axis of the hooks. The flats 45 of the hooks reach out from under the rim of the cap IS, the inner ends of the arms 5! lying just outside the rim. The tongues or fingers 9 are bent so that when the hooks are pivoted on the stud, the tongue on the hook 3 will slide under the tongue on the hook 5.

The hooks may be swung apart against the bias of the springs H to the limiting position determined by their engagement with the ends of flanges 19 (Fig. 4), in which position the tongues or fingers 9 are separated for application to the apertured lug or eye on a watch. Upon release, the springs snap the hooks to closed position wherein tongues or fingers 9 overlap, one upcn the other, with the end of the tongue on one hook engaging the arm 51 of the other.

From the above, it will be seen that the clasp is adapted for attaching a bracelet to apertured watch lugs of different widths in that arms 5! are movable toward and away from one ancther to varying degrees so as to grasp or release lugs of different widths. The fingers 9, which project toward one another in a transverse direction, are adapted to move into the aperture of a watch lug to a greater or lesser degree as the arms are moved toward and away from one another. The arms 5| in grasping position are closer together than the sides of the restricted-width opening in the housing defined by the ends of flanges i9, and the inner surfaces of the arms may grasp the sides of a lug. The arms 5| in grasping position are simultanecusly pivotable on the base plate 2'! in one direction or the other against the bias of on or the other of the springs II to the degree permitted by the width of the housing opening defined by the ends of flanges 18.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A spring hook clasp particularly for use on the ends of a wrist watch bracelet to connect the bracelet and a wrist watch, comprising a cap having means at one end for attaching it to one end of a bracelet and flanges at its sides, a U-shaped member carried by and under the cap with its arms extending down from the cap, a spring housing part fitted in the cap having a web provided with a pair of apertures receiving the arms of the U-shaped member and having flanges at its sides, the base of the U-shaped member being located between the web and the cap and the U-shaped member being arranged with one arm toward said one end of the cap and its other arm toward the other and outer end of the cap, a pair of clasp hooks pivoted at their inner ends on the said other arm of the U- shaped member and extending out from under the cap, each hook having a tongue at its outer end projecting toward the other hook, the tongues of the two hooks overlapping in a closed position of the hooks, each hook having a shoulder at its inner end with the shoulders of the two hooks on opposite sides of the said other arm, a pair of helical coiled compression springs in said housing part reacting from abutments at the end of said housing part toward the said one end of the cap against the respective shoulders to bias the hooks toward one another to closed position, the springs being disposed on opposite sides of the inner arm of the U-shaped member, and a cover for said housing part retained in assembled relation with the cap by the side flanges on the cap and enclosing the springs.

2. An end clasp for use with a watch bracelet and capable of attaching said bracelet to apertured watch lugs of different widths comprising a housing having an opening with a restricted width at the end of said housing remote from said bracelet body, a base plate within said housing, a pair of arms coaxially mounted on said base plate for pivotal movement about a common axis and extending out through the opening in said housing substantially longitudinally with respect to said bracelet body and having inner surfaces for grasping the sides of a watch lug, said arms being movable toward or away from one another to varying degrees so as to grasp or release Watch lugs of different widths, and fingers on said arms projecting toward one another in a transverse direction, said fingers being adapted to move into the aperture of a watch lug to a greater or lesser degree as said arms are moved toward and away from one another, each arm having a shoulder at its pivot and with the shoulders of the two arms on opposite sides of the pivot axis, and a pair of helical coiled compression springs in said housing acting against said shoulders to urge the arms toward one another into a grasping position, said arms in grasping position being closer together than the sides of the opening in said housing and thus being simultaneously pivotable on said base plate in one direction or the other against the bias of one or the other of the springs to the degree permitted by the width of the opening in said housing, the divergence of said arms when moved away from one another against the action of said springs being limited by engagement between said arms and the sides of the opening in said housing.

3. An end clamp for use with a watch bracelet and capable of attaching said bracelet to apertured watch lugs of different widths comprising a housing having an opening with a restricted width at the end of said housing remote from said bracelet body, a base plate within said housing, a pair of studs extending from the base plate, one adjacent said one end of the housing and the other stud adjacent the other end of the housing, a pair of arms coaxially mounted on said one stud for pivotal movement about a common axis and extending out through the opening in said housing substantially longitudinally with respect to said bracelet body and having inner surfaces for grasping the sides of a watch lug, said arms being movable toward or away from one another to varying degrees so as to grasp or release watch lugs of different widths, and fingers on said arms projecting toward one another in a transverse direction, said fingers being adapted to move into the aperture of a watch lug to a greater or lesser degree as said arms are moved toward and away from one another, each arm having a shoulder at its pivot end with the shoulders of the two arms on opposite sides of said one stud, and a pair of helical coiled compression springs in said housing on opposite sides of said other stud acting against said shoulders to urge the arms toward one another in a grasping position, said arms in grasping position being closer together than the sides of the opening in said housing and thus being simultaneously pivotable on said base plate in one direction or the other against the bias of one or the other of the springs to the degree permitted by the width of the opening in said housing, the divergence of said arms when moved away from cne another against the action of said springs being limited by engagement between said arms and the sides of the opening in said housing.

HERMAN KUEHN.

JOHN F. SAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

